


The Web of Life

by sherlock221Bismymuse



Series: Alone Protects Us [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Awesome Molly Hooper, BAMF Molly Hooper, F/M, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Johnlock - Freeform, Light Angst, M/M, Mollcroft, Mycroft in Love, Mycroft is the best, Other, bit of crack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-08-26 13:01:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 10,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16682095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlock221Bismymuse/pseuds/sherlock221Bismymuse
Summary: This story is set 30 years after the end of the Web of Comfort ( so please read it first or this will not make much sense!) but starts with a flashback as Molly reflects on her life.Inspired by the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in parts. ( The movie stars Judi Dench and Maggie Smith and Richard Gere. What's not to like ?!)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Howlynn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Howlynn/gifts).



> This work is gifted to Howlynn whose kind comments on the very first long fic I ever wrote ( which was the first part of this story) and her question on whether Sherlock gave Mycroft the talk on 'hurt her and I will make you disappear', was the catalyst and inspiration for this part 2 !!  
> Hope you enjoy it! It is mostly all written up but some finer edits will be made as we go along and hence this will be updated every couple of days or so.  
> And yes, please do read The Camera Never Lies by Howlynn, which is a magnificent epic with twists and turns and surprising new characters you never knew you wanted! I must also say that I loved' Statue in the Temple of Mendacity' which has the rare pair of John and Molly but it works brilliantly, with all the angst and feels you can hope for!  
> Here's to more from you Howlynn :)

Molly sat on the beach chair sipping her iced tea, watching the sun set, thinking as she always did at this time of the day, about life, the universe and everything else.

.

.

When she and Mycroft had returned from their honeymoon all those years ago, Sherlock and John had thrown a small reception party for them and invited close friends and family.

Mycroft and Sherlock’s parents were there of course as were Mike Stamford, Greg, Anthea, and Harry Watson with Clara. At Molly’s request Jeff and Maya had also been invited since they were there ‘from the real beginning of it all’ as she had put it to Mycroft.

The ‘Baker Street irregulars’ had also been formally invited but chose to lurk around in the shadows as they came and went at will. When Molly had tried to get Billy Wiggins to sit with them at the table, she was told, “We are homeless cos we are anarchists. Against the social structures that want to dictate our lives and all that. Your bloke is pretty much the government ain’t he lady? We got a reputation to maintain yeah. Can’t be seen eating off the same table as him, see?”

So there was that….

********************************

Mycroft was still not used to opening up to his feelings and continued to be stunned every single time one of the guests came and expressed their absolute delight at his and Molly’s marriage.

_They all cared so much and they all loved Molly so much. And there was SO MUCH hugging to endure….….sigh_

Sherlock had been so pleased that they had decided against a noisy crowded big wedding that he threw himself into making this small party just perfect. He had managed to get a lovely walled garden space not far from central London (it was not quite the Buckingham Palace but was fairly large and simply gorgeous and involved some favour owed to him for clarifying an identity theft and a missing pigeon ruby). It had been decorated with buntings and fairy lights and yellow roses everywhere.

For some reason the napkins were intricately folded into swans.

Molly had looked at John with questioning eyes when she saw that and he just shrugged and said “Sherlock. You Tube”. And yes, that was enough explanation for everyone concerned.

Since there had been no formal marriage ceremony (just a registered one), Sherlock took it upon himself to be the best man at the party and raise a toast.

“Well, brother mine”, he said, “ I never thought I would be the one to give you ‘the talk’ but you had better take good care of my pathologist! If you hurt her, remember that I know exactly how to hide a body so that even MI 6 would not be able to find it.”

Everyone had actually laughed at that showing how far they had come in forgiving him and that they had recovered from the Fall and its bitter aftermath.

Sherlock then picked up his violin and played a beautiful composition of his own.

It was complex and uplifting as well as gentle at the same time, with soaring notes and soothing silences. Everyone was so moved that there was a hush when he finished. Mummy Holmes wiped away a stray tear. Mrs Hudson was the first one to start clapping, looking like she was going to burst with pride at her boy. Everyone else joined in and even Greg shouted ‘Bravo!’

Sherlock acknowledged the applause with a quick nod and said, “I was going to dedicate the music to the married couple and name it ‘Beauty and the Beast’ _(with a smirk to his brother at which Mycroft rolled his eyes and everyone laughed)_ but instead I have decided to name it ‘Resurrection and Redemption’ and dedicate it to Molly. There was a time when I may have believed that _alone protected me_ but everything I did was possible only because she had my back. She gave of her expertise willingly and ably at the hospital labs and she fought for justice in her own quiet way. She not only saved me after the Fall but she also saved some of you here today by giving support and kindness and encouragement, at a time when you were the most broken and lost. She stood in the shadows but she held us all together in a web of comfort.”

_(Greg and John nodded vehemently at this, remembering the quiet way in which she had put them back on track to recovery when they were floundering in the aftermath. Mrs Hudson was already wiping her eyes.)_

“She is the one who saved not just me but also redeemed my brother and gave us a both a life which we scarce could have believed we deserved. She opened the doors to happiness and love which we had never imagined we were capable of. I may have been on the side of angels but she is truly our angel.”

When he finished speaking he turned and looked at Molly and raised his glass in a toast.

“To Molly,” he said.

“To Molly,” said everyone.

Molly just sat there wiping away her tears with her left hand as Mycroft held her right hand and squeezed it. _How had her life become so wonderful?_

Mummy Holmes and Maya were also openly weeping by this point.

Sherlock looked at them and then to John in confusion. “Did I do something wrong??”

“No Sherlock my love,” said John, his own eyes goings soft. “You were _amazing_ ,” he said and got up to give him a hug.

For a brief moment it seemed as though Mycroft was moved enough to do the same but then the moment was gone.

However, the look that passed between the brothers spoke volumes and Mycroft knew that finally his younger brother was truly not just a great man but also a good one.

John then raised his own glass and said, “To the Brothers Holmes. May we continue to be blessed by their weird and wonderful presence in all our lives!”

Not to be left out, now Greg raised a toast “To the happy couple- Molly and Mycroft!”

As he looked upon this wedding party Mycroft thought to himself that these really were the 3 'best men' he could ever have hoped to call his family.

***********************************

After many slices of cake were eaten and much champagne was drunk, there was music and dancing and to everyone’s surprise Sherlock and John had practised a waltz and Mrs Hudson and Mr. Chatterjee had prepared a short Bollywood dance routine.

After they received a standing ovation, Sherlock went up to her and gave her a crushing hug.

“Mrs. Hudson!” He said and was just rendered speechless after that which made her giggle.

“Well I was an exotic dancer before I got married you know!”

When the floor opened up, Greg had asked Maya for a dance and Molly noticed that they did not leave each other’s side at all for the rest of the evening and eventually left the reception together. She had smiled to herself. _Greg really deserved some happiness and Maya was such a lovely woman._

Anthea had actually kept her phone down and showed some splendid moves on the dance floor with Jeff. _Would wonders never cease?!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mycroft wonders if Molly is really happy. Her answer is an utter surprise.

Much later at night when everyone had gone and the happy couple found themselves alone at home, Molly had changed into pyjamas and warm socks and her favourite ‘Truth’ T- shirt.

She saw Mycroft looking at her very seriously.

“What happened sugar plum?” she asked him.

‘Are you happy Molly? Really happy?’ he asked her.

‘What brought this on love?! I was the one who proposed to you, remember?” she said with a mischievous smile. “I am happier than I had ever thought it possible to be. You have been the best thing to have happened in my life.’

And then she paused since that was not _entirely_ true now was it……at least not today……..

“You know”, she said carefully, “We need to order more T- shirts.”

_What??_ thought Mycroft. _Where did that come from?_

“But smaller ones” she said, “like these” and she showed him something on her phone.

“These?” said Mycroft. “But they are so small. They are really tiny!”

“Hmm”, Molly hummed. “And we should get this written on them—Daddy Rules but Mommy Rocks.”

A supernova exploded in Mycroft’s Mind Galaxy as entire star systems were created in seconds.

“Molly?! Are you saying what I think you are saying?!”

_Would Molly never ever cease to surprise him?!!_

She blushed furiously and said ‘I just found out this morning! Dr Gyampoh managed to do a quick ultrasound during her lunch break when no one else was around.’

Mycroft was so overcome with emotion that he was speechless.

‘Peaches, are you ok?!”She asked him, slightly nervous now. “Are you ……’

‘Oh Molly! I thought I had run the entire gamut of emotions with you in the last few months, but here I am now feeling as though I will burst with happiness !’ he replied, grinning from ear to ear.

Molly had laughed and laughed at that. They had not exactly planned for this so soon but she was delighted and relieved to know that Mycroft felt happy too.

‘So’, he asked her ’Do you know already if it is a boy or a girl?’

‘Well, it’s both actually.’

‘What?!’ he was flummoxed again.

_What does that mean? Is she going to give me one of her gentle but firm talks about gender being a spectrum and fluidity and such things?_

‘Well’, she cleared her throat. “It’s twins. One boy, one girl’.

‘Molly my darling! There is _never_ a dull moment with you is there?!’

And they cuddled together and spent the next hour eating the leftover cake and discussing possible names.

“So not Romulus and Remus then cos they were both boys”. Mycroft started to say. ‘Raised by a she- wolf though….”

“No my love,” Molly said very firmly. “We are NOT going to give our children your kind of names. Seriously! Let’s try for something more _normal_. Please….. ”

‘Ok, how about Victoria and Albert?” tried Mycroft.

‘Sweetheart, NO. Just NO’, said Molly. “Our children will _not_ be named after a museum. Nor will we name them Yin&Yang or Ben&Jerry or India&Africa or Harry&Hermione. Also….I think I have better ideas for how we can spend our time tonight……don’t you?” and the cheeky smile she gave him made his heart feel full to overflowing. 

.

.

And eventually after many months of discussion, barely in time for the delivery, they had agreed upon Scott for the boy, named after Sherlock and Siobhan for the girl named on the Irish version of John.

John kind- of never forgave them for it since Sherlock found it hilarious and never failed to remark at every birthday party for the twins that _John was actually a girl’s name._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Siobhan is my tribute to Mrs S from Orphan Black. It really is the Irish ‘girl version’ of John 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And as the years go by.....

Greg and Maya had moved in together within a month of meeting and were still happily in love and childfree by choice. Greg continued to work at Scotland Yard and called Sherlock in when he needed to.

Mycroft continued doing six impossible things before breakfast and Molly continued working at St Bart’s.

Mycroft’s Mind Galaxy had expanded to include the twins but his Sun still burnt the brightest for Molly. It was her smile he waited for and her eyes he caught and it was her touch that soothed him when the bitter day was done.

Every night before they went to sleep he would kiss her and whisper ‘I can’t believe you are mine!’

And she would always smile back at him and say “For all of time and space my love!’

.

.

Molly had insisted that the twins be looked after in the day care centre at the hospital so she had regular access to them.

As they grew older, they found that Sherlock was, surprisingly, a very willing babysitter since he found it fascinating that they were twins and kept volumes upon volumes of diaries with notes on them.

When the twins spoke their first words Molly and Mycroft were both thrilled because they had said ‘mother’ and ‘daddy’ but they realized later that the twins had actually said ‘murder’ and ‘deadly’ which was not so delightful …..but considering the environment they were raised in and the dinner table conversations they had been subjected to, not at all surprising.

As the children grew older Mycroft revelled in his role as a doting father. He carried Siobhan on his shoulders during Sunday picnics and took Scott for music classes and tried to make sure he never missed any school concerts and races as far as possible.

Once, when it seemed as though he was not going to be able to make it for the Annual Concert, somehow a sudden Counter Terrorist Field Exercise was called for and the entire auditorium had to be evacuated and the concert re-scheduled. The kids had been excited out of their minds at seeing the special ops troops drop down from Black Hawks all over the grounds and the roof. The parents had gone out of their minds at the idea that they had to re-schedule off days, evenings shifts, child minders’ rotas and do this damn thing all over again.

But after all, as Mycroft later confessed to John, _there had to be some upside to being the British Government._

(He didn’t dare let Molly know that he had been behind this drama!)

.

.

One day Mycroft came to Molly cursing Sherlock and suggesting they keep him away from the kids.

“What happened?” She asked him.

"A is for Amy who fell down the stairs. B is for Basil, assaulted by ears. What kind of an alphabet is this?? Sherlock has been up to no good."

“Ah that,” Molly said, smiling, as she mixed apple slices with cinnamon powder and the delicious smell almost derailed his thoughts. “That is from Amphigorey. I bought it for them.”

“Amphigorey?? I am quite certain that isn’t a real word!”

“Oh it sure is! Just like Jabberwocky. It may not mean anything that you are aware of honeybunch.”She said giving him her fingers to lick off the buttery sugary cinnamon. “But they are real words!”

Later that night she found him snickering over the Beastly Baby and the Mysterious Garden.

“And you were worried that I was the one who was going to warp the kids?” He asked her.

She merely pointed to her favourite T shirt and grinned.

The truth shall set you free but first it will piss you off!

The twins visited Baker Street almost every weekend. They called Mrs. Hudson ‘Gramma’ which simply melted her heart every single time and she made sure she always had their favourite cookies freshly baked on the weekend they were expected to come over.

(She also always baked an extra batch for Sherlock so he wouldn’t steal from the kids. And of course also because he would always be her ‘boy’ even if his hair was beginning to show just the handful of grey hair.)

While there the twins also enjoyed endless games of deduction with Uncle Sherlock. They quickly learnt that telling Uncle John that Uncle Sherlock had been a Bit Not Good always led to some interesting drama at 221B.

It had finally taken an intervention from Mrs. Hudson to explain to John what they were up to.

The Detective and the Doctor were absurdly proud instead of being angry and told Mrs. Hudson it was a testament to their training that the twins had recognized the patterns and used them to their advantage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Mycroft’s theme song: A Hard Day’s Night by The Beatles  
> It's been a hard day's night, and I been working like a dog  
> It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log  
> But when I get home to you I'll find the things that you do  
> Will make me feel alright
> 
> 2\. Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things."  
> "I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
> 
> 3\. The Edward Gorey books are deliciously dark and it seems to me that Molly with her morbid sense of humour would certainly read them to her kids!   
> https://www.brainpickings.org/2011/01/19/edward-gorey-the-gashlycrumb-tinies/


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adulting, parenting, Mummy Holmes being a mother-in-law

The twins were now seven years old.

Mycroft, always more aware than anyone else of the ebb and flow of the patterns of human behaviour and the various strands of the webs that were woven around people’s lives, was now almost hyper aware because although his brat of a brother had, finally, not only grown up but had an ex-Army doctor as his keeper, Mycroft now had Molly and the twins to worry about.

Like any new parent he had spent the first three years almost catatonic with fear that some dreadful unknown and incurable thing was going to attack his precious children and he would lose them.

Molly was also a first time parent but somehow coping way better than Mycroft. The Ice Man had disappeared and been replaced by Marshmallow Man. He was absolutely terrible at disciplining the twins who ran rings around him.

He would not deny them anything and it all kept escalating until finally one day Molly came home to find ponies in their backyard and she had lost it.

“You do realize that they have the attention span of a fruit fly?” She had asked him. Never raising her voice but managing to make him shiver nevertheless. “You do recall that they have wanted to grow up and become an astronaut, bus driver, archaeologist, Banksy and thanks to Sherlock even a serial killer because he made it sound so exciting.”

She stood there giving him a steely look till he looked sheepish and mumbled something that sounded like an apology.

“My darling meringue, would you please do the easy job of running the British Government and leave the child discipline to me? God forbid they turn out like your MI6 lot.” Molly had muttered in response. “Or worse, like Sherlock.”

.

.

That Christmas when they were all at the Holmes cottage for the holidays, Molly came to Mycroft at night with an exasperated expression.

Mummy had been talking to the twins in Greek during breakfast, Urdu during lunch and Spanish during tea. Which was fine. Molly was sure she didn’t need to know _every single thing_ that was being said to her children by her mother-in-law…….but at dinner time Mummy had turned to Mycroft and said indulgently “You are going soft Myke! The twins will be almost 7 and they know only 5 languages!”

.

.

“Do they really have to know ten languages before they are ten?” Molly demanded of him at night. “They are already way ahead in mathematics and Scott has passed two Trinity college exams with his flute. Siobhan is representing the country at the World Junior Figure Skating Championship. I mean, I know your Mummy is brilliant and so are you…….. and both of you made Sherlock what he is. But I love you also because you are kind and funny and thoughtful.” She said, kissing him because he was looking so worried. “Honey, isn’t it better for the kids to have some mind-space to just be _kids_?”

Mycroft looked very doubtful and a bit panicked at that. As though she had suggested they turn them loose and let them run amok like Lord of the Flies.

Molly rolled her eyes. “I am not saying we let them go feral Mycroft! God knows they will anyway because Sherlock is so much a part of their lives. But can there be space and time to let them have fun? To teach them kindness and gratitude and being strong and helpful and social justice and all that?”

“Oh of course cupcake!” Mycroft replied. “With you as a mom, how can they ever be otherwise? But I am sure they have enough capacity to manage doing it all!”

And he wondered to himself _how could it be anything less than fun to learn more things??!_ But he knew better than to say it out loud.

.

.

So, eventually the kids did manage to learn 8 main languages by the time they were eight and the rest were derivative and easy to pick up. Also Sign language and Morse code being John’s contribution to their vocabulary.

The one thing that really annoyed Molly was that Sherlock would make it a point to talk to the twins only in Mandarin or KiSwahili when she was around and she would constantly be on edge wondering what he was up to.

Then one Monday the twins refused to go to school. When Mycroft asked them why, Siobhan said Uncle Sherlock had told them that if you pander to the establishment it will crush your soul.

Mycroft pinched the bridge of his nose and wondered for the thousandth time why Sherlock had not been whipped more often as a kid.

“Right,” Molly said calmly, continuing to pack their lunches. “And if you avoid the establishment you can’t engage with it and then there will be anarchy and even more repression.”

Mycroft’s eyebrows had shot up when he heard this. He wondered if he could bring Molly to negotiate with some of the Heads of State. _They were often no better than kids ……._

.

.

As the kids grew older it was obvious that Siobhan was the astute diplomat. She recognized patterns and understood manipulation rather instinctively. Her favourite TV series was Yes Minister. And Molly often found her and Mycroft watching it, not howling with laughter like most people but seriously discussing strategy.

She would shake her head in fond disbelief and carry on to the other room where she could sit with Scott and watch ‘I, Robot’ and ‘Star Trek’ and discuss the Three Laws of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence and Space Colonies.

.

.

And somehow, the twins grew up alarmingly normal given that they were being raised by Mycroft who was the Most Dangerous Man in Britain, Molly who once dated Jim Moriarty, Sherlock who was…well, _himself_ and John who was an ex- Army Doctor addicted to danger.

Not to mention the fact that their two Grammas were Mrs Hudson, of the exotic dancing and drug lord fame and Mummy Holmes, a genius mathematician who had co-founded the Internet.

Poor Father Holmes would be left trying to hold up the normal end of the spectrum. Luckily Greg and Maya did pitch in to offer a balance to the madness that was part of the Holmes family.

“Stop it Sherlock!” was the most frequently heard phrase when Greg was around. It could mean he was trying to prevent anything from an experiment involving the need for twins or four hands to a macabre story about serial killers or a cryptic puzzle that was frustrating the kids.

Anthea, Jeffrey, Angelo, Mike, almost everyone they knew had ended up with baby-sitting duties at some point over the first decade and as Molly and Mycroft realized every single day it did indeed take a village to raise kids!

Mycroft had taken advantage of his role in the British Government to push for new policies and regulations which protected the interest of single mothers by ensuring adequate paid leave, equal pay for equal work, compulsory paternity leave, childcare support policies and better crèche facilities for working women. With the Royal Family having so many new babies and the Prime Minister being sensitive to these issues, he got all the support he needed and the U.K was fast being seen as a better place to raise children.

Molly sometimes thought about how far they had come over the last ten years and she simply could not be prouder of him!

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John goes undercover and Sherlock actually contemplates retiring.

 

Besides the routine murders and violence Mycroft had recently been aware of a greater threat emerging based on the pattern of missing people. Many of them were highly educated, mostly in the age range of 25-45, and they were just dropping off the radar.

They suspected that a newly emerging cult was attracting them. They did not know if the missing people were being sent to ISIS or part of human trafficking ring or something even more sinister. They needed someone to go undercover.

John had conveniently just recently grown a lovely salt and pepper beard and was sort of volunteered by the Holmes brothers to be the inside man.

He didn’t mind and was quite excited by the idea till he saw the photos and realized he would have to go around living in a red robe.

He sulked and scowled and when Sherlock saw it too and was in a complete flap about sending John into that all alone. Eventually they decided that he would go with Sally and so the two of them went undercover.

Sherlock was like a caged animal pacing up and down at the Baker Street flat when he was not breathing down Mycroft’s neck looking at the surveillance.

They had not been able to manage too much surveillance in order to avoid suspicion but one video of John chanting and swaying while some woman held him was enough to send Sherlock careening out of the door to bring him back.

It took all of Mycroft’s persuasive powers and Molly’s repeated assurances that John was _never_ going to be tempted by anyone else _ever_ in his life that prevented him from breaking into and breaking down the entire cult and setting fire to their entire set up.

Sally had managed to send a message to them about the cult leader planning a mass suicide of the followers.

John had been taken into the inner circle within a week of joining because he could be a very charming man when he switched on the full power of Three Continents Watson. The inner circle was to lead the way to the ultimate salvation by being the first ones to consume the poisoned drinks.

He had not wanted to give the game away by objecting or refusing and he had full faith in the backup forces.

Mycroft had acted swiftly upon receiving the message and it had saved John’s life as well as that of the 2300 followers gathered at the site.

But it had been a close call and Sherlock had started thinking of retiring.

He actually said so one day to Greg while they were sitting and talking.

‘You and me both mate,’’ said Greg. ‘I am not getting any younger. Sally should be ready for a promotion soon and I think I need to get hold of my life and actually live it you know. Maya has been suggesting we move to Goa and retire there. Her family owns a large Portuguese mansion and she is keen on setting up some kind of animal rescue thing. Sun, sand and beer. And they speak English. It sounds like my division! It will be a permanent holiday! Hell, I don’t care where we go as long as we are both together and I don’t have to do any paperwork.’

So it was that 8 years after being reinstated, Greg turned in his badge and was given a very respectful and warm send off by Scotland Yard and he and Maya left London.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. This chapter inspired entirely by this photo ! https://aminoapps.com/c/sherlock/page/blog/martin-freeman-love-the-beard/xJS2_u6GDnb16DQLGqxakKwpNVw31l
> 
> 2\. More on cults if you are interested : http://allthatsinteresting.com/insane-cults 
> 
> https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/first-hand-people-didnt-just-come-looking-for-orgies-two-british-women-once-in-the-rajneeshis-face-a-1417304.html
> 
> 3\. http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2016/03/the-five-scariest-cults-in-modern-history/
> 
> 4\. The mass suicide and insider rescue bit was also inspired by one episode from Madam Secretary, an American TV series.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can poor Greg retire in peace?

Although poor Greg left the police, the police work did not leave him!

There was a very large number of British tourists and expats living in Goa. There were rumblings of a Russian mafia. There were casinos, drugs and prostitution rings.

One day a young British tourist went missing and Greg was asked by Scotland Yard to assist the local police in their enquiries if he could. Maya was worried for him but he told her gravely that he felt duty bound. “I hate it when it involves kids.”

The resultant investigation was a nightmare and one ill- fated day he was shot at. Luckily the Goa Police had a constable shadowing him and he was taken to the hospital where he received excellent medical care.

However this news had all the Holmeses and families descending on Goa to make sure their favourite retired D.I was as fine as he said he was.

Fortunately for him, he was genuinely recovering well. Otherwise, as John confessed to him one evening after drinks, Sherlock had come fully prepared to haul him back to London.

Greg had laughed good- naturedly and told John that he was unlikely to want to go back to the grey skies and cold weather ever again and he was in fact sure they would want to come and stay there too!

His words turned out to be prophetic as Molly simply loved the place and the food and the people. She had long discussions with Maya about medical care and facilities and higher education and eventually asked Mycroft if they thought they could consider retiring there in another 10 years’ time.

“Then we can eat Indian food every day you know. Just like you do back home.” She said with a smile.

Mycroft was now used to being surprised by Molly but this was a big one. However he considered it seriously and agreed to at least come down on vacation every couple of years and see how they felt about it.

Since the school vacation times were so different in both the countries, the twins usually joined the local convent school when they came down for a month. They made plenty of friends and got tanned from playing on the beach all weekend and started to quite look forward to these holidays.

Over the years Mycroft held many discrete meetings with the agents of RAW as well as Mossad and five years after Molly had raised the possibility, he told her that in fact this could be the ideal place to run a school for spies, under the guise of a writers’ retreat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. https://www.dw.com/en/the-russian-love-affair-with-goa/a-6439537  
> 2\. https://britishexpats.com/forum/goa-170/would-love-live-goa-304329/  
> 3\. https://www.theguardian.com/world/scarlett-keeling


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ten years later, things change in many ways, small and big.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long delay in updating !! Thank you for your patience and for staying with this story :) Will do much better next week when work pressure will be less--promise!!

There had been profound grief when Mrs Hudson had passed away and Sherlock had wept like a baby. In a final gesture to make sure that her 'boy' was looked after, she had left the entire building to him. After many discussions with John and also Molly and Mycroft, Sherlock had converted her flat to a B&B for women students who came from outside London. (Preference being given of course to medical students working at St. Bart’s.)

Sherlock and John still stayed upstairs but John could see that his beloved’s heart was no longer in it.

Sherlock kept listening for Mrs Hudson to come up the stairs and sometimes he would look at the teacups and go very still and silent.

Molly sent over scones and cakes once in a while to make up for it but it upset Sherlock even more and John explained this to her and asked her not to.

.

.

John was at his wits’ end when fate intervened in the form of Mycroft’s butler Jeffrey who asked them to help with the bee mafia back at his farms in Jamaica. His sister’s husband was an alcoholic and had died young, leaving her and their 12 year old daughter in charge of the bees. Someone had taken advantage of this and had stolen 10 hives one night.

Sherlock thought it was only a 3 and was reluctant but John saw the value in getting him out of Baker Street and out of the country to stop brooding and start healing.

(The sun and sand and rum was of course his personal incentive.)

Sherlock managed to solve the mystery of course but his old fascination with bees was re-kindled and one day he came home and dramatically announced to John that he had decided they should stay there and become bee-keepers.

John was so used to such behaviour from Sherlock that he didn’t even blink. Just sent a text message to Mycroft to let him know.

Mycroft saw the message and rolled his eyes and sighed. _Sherlock never could manage ‘normal’ could he?_

He showed Molly the message and she shrugged. “As long as he is happy.”

.

.

And so it came to pass that Sherlock and John stayed over and helped Gaby manage the farm. Sadly it seemed that her husband had left her one more legacy, far more deadly, and within two years she became extremely ill and died of AIDS.

John hesitantly broached the topic with Sherlock when it became obvious that Gaby wasn’t going to make it. They had become very fond of her daughter Rosita over the last two years, with John helping her study and Sherlock teaching her the science of bee keeping as well as deductions.

She was now almost 15 and John wondered if they could adopt her. It would mean having a daughter they could genuinely love and cherish without having to go through all the caring for a small child, which frankly at the age of 50 John was utterly loathe to do.

Sherlock agreed easily, much to John’s surprise and they discussed their plan with Jeff who had come down from London to be with his sister in her last days. He had been astonished and then grateful and had spoken to Rosita about it.

John found himself a job at the local clinic and also conducted some training programmes for Doctors without Borders.

And so they stayed there till Rosie was 16.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, my ongoing attempts to add more colours and politics and global perspective to the BBC version :)
> 
> 1\. http://jis.gov.jm/beekeeping-big-business-in-the-west/
> 
> 2\. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/28/britains-biggest-bee-sting-one-million-insects-stolen-oxfordshire/


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Baker Street Boys are back and how !

By the time Rosie finished with school she had decided she wanted to do Veterinary Medicine. So after much deliberations and discussions and fact finding, they decided to move back to London for her further education.

Their first day back at Baker Street was difficult for Sherlock and he sat quietly with his fingers steepled under his chin. Thank you Mrs Hudson he thought. All the thank- yous I never said while you were here...I know you knew I meant to....Thank you once again. For everything.

.

.

That evening everyone came over for a house warming and the flat rang out with laughter and conversations after years. They were also joined by Anthea and Jeffery who were now obviously together even though no formal announcements had been made. They facetimed Greg and Maya and there was much shouting and joking as news was traded.

The evening had a perfectly lovely end when Sherlock played his violin, with his back to Mrs. Hudson’s photo which was on the mantelpiece, although everyone knew who he was playing it for.

.

.

The next day John persuaded the medical students living downstairs to come over anytime they wanted and to ask him and Sherlock questions about cases. They had all been eager to meet the famous detective anyway and soon the flat was buzzing at all hours of the day since they all had different schedules and there would always be one or two of them wanting Sherlock’s or John’s expert inputs.

 _Ah well._ John thought to himself often in those days. _Sherlock had been right. The Game is never over. But there will be new players now. And that was fine._

Meanwhile Rosie had joined the Royal Veterinary College in London and was enjoying every moment. Greg and Maya had sent her a welcome to London gift in the form of the entire set of James Herriot’s books, which were being read most avidly by Sherlock!

Surprisingly, when it came to parenting Sherlock had in fact been the strict one, insisting on things being done a certain way and John had had to intervene on occasion to avoid mega tantrums from both him and Rosie. But they had all soon found their rhythm and as John looked at the slightly greying curly head bent over the one with cornrows and beads as they tried to puzzle out some anatomy diagram of a cow or a goat (They all looked the same to John!) he wondered if the whole thing had been some kind of a dream!

_That first day when they had met and he had shot the killer cabbie, the years of the Fall, their life in Jamaica, a daughter to call their own…..….it was all beyond his wildest dreams. How had John Watson, the broken and lost ex-Army doctor ended up here in this little piece of heaven??_

As though reading his mind, as always, Sherlock would look up and smile, his eyes still full of that incandescent love which always made John feel as though he was walking on air.

.

.

And then life took an even more fantastic turn!

Mycroft had asked Rosie to join him for one of his visits to the Palace, just for fun. Yes, Mycroft now understood fun. His own children were too busy to be taken around like this and he was very fond of Rosie who was a very self-assured and well brought up child (despite Sherlock being in loco parentis as he would often remember).

As it happened Prince Harry was there as were the corgis and Rosie noticed something wrong with one of the dogs and brought it to his notice.

That led to a thank you note from the Queen the next day and a personal invitation to High Tea at Buckingham Palace!

One thing led to another and before the Holmes-Watson-Hooper families could blink, Rosie and Prince Harry were announcing their engagement!

The person who found this amusing beyond belief was Mycroft. He simply could not meet or talk to Sherlock without reminding him every single time to NOT turn up in a bedsheet at the wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rosie's romance is of course inspired by Meghan and Prince Harry's :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock and John become grandfathers. Mycroft gets a legacy he never imagined in his wildest dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for such a delay in updating ! Was busy with two other WIPs! But in the new year, this one is going to take priority :)

Soon they were all caught up in the whirlwind of the Royal Wedding and everyone was vetted by security personnel so many times over that Sherlock was threatening to steal at least 5 ashtrays from the Palace before he left from the dinner.

Everyone turned to look at John knowing that this was very much Bit Not Good, but he just smiled and shrugged. He knew that Sherlock would never do anything to create trouble for Rosie. For Lestrade maybe, for Mycroft surely…but never for any of the younger lot.

So, no ashtrays went missing from Queen’ inventory and Sherlock and John’s official wedding present was, of course, a set of bedsheets.

.

.

On the day of the wedding itself, Jeffery had been there, beaming with pride as his niece was led up the aisle by two of the finest men he could have hoped for as her parents. He sent up a prayer to Gaby and knew that she was watching over them, wherever she was.

.

.

The next day he proposed to Anthea. Again.

She refused. Again.

“Alone protects us.” She reminded him. “I cannot take the risk of someone using you as a target or hostage.”

Jeff was silent for a beat. Then he asked her, “So because we are not married it won’t matter to you what happens to me?”

Anthea realized the wisdom of his words and agreed to have a very secret very hush hush ceremony, at Mycroft and Molly’s new residence. She was able to actually keep her phone away for five entire minutes as she said her vows and signed the papers.

Mycroft looked awed and told Jeffrey this was a sure sign of true love.

“But don’t expect it to happen too often-- for your own peace of mind” He warned Jeff, who gave a hearty laugh, knowing exactly what he had got himself into!

.

.

Over the coming years, Sherlock continued to consult with New Scotland Yard on cases, where Sally Donovan was now the D.I.

Rosie or Rosalie, the Duchess of Battersea, as she was now known, completed her course in Veterinary Medicine with flying colours and had two lovely daughters in quick succession. Ella Sheryl- named after Gabriela and Sherlock, followed by Joan Bethany—named after John and the Queen.

Rosie brought them over as often as she could and when they left after their regular visits to 221B , Sherlock and John would just sit on the sofa for a while--dazed and unable to comprehend that they were grandfathers now! John always made them both a very strong cup of tea to cope afterwards.

.

.

In the meanwhile, Mycroft had begun discreet forays into exploring the potential for a spy training setup in Goa and every time they took a short vacation there, he held meetings with ‘academics’ and ‘publishers’ about the potential for a good 'writers’ retreat' and how it work. Goa was well connected to London, with chartered flights taking off almost every week. As Greg’s unfortunate experience had proved, there was a big Russian presence there too. Israeli soldiers also favoured India as a holiday spot during their time off and the people of Afghanistan did not need a visa to enter India. It was as close to an undercover global power hub as he could get while also enjoying excellent living conditions.

However, as he started winding down his role in the United Kingdom, he didn’t know that Anthea was still capable of surprising him. Hugely. The student had surpassed the master.

A month before they were to finally leave the shores of London for their ‘writers’ retreat', Anthea invited Mycroft to her offices in MI6 for a very small meeting. He reached at 4pm sharp to find the Chief Superintendent of Police and the Head of MI5 already sitting there. After some polite conversation Anthea asked Mycroft to initiate a program on the computer interface.

He raised an eyebrow, hoping this wasn’t going to unleash some maudlin video of himself to the background score of _He’s a jolly Good fellow…._

He took a deep breath and pressed the red button.... and found all the screens come to life with the words ‘H.O.L.M.E.S.’ flashing on all of them.

He looked at her, utterly bewildered, and saw the other two giving knowing smiles.

“Mr. Holmes”, Anthea said. “In recognition for services rendered by you and Sherlock, for Queen and country, over all these decades, it is my honour and privilege to introduce to you HOLMES—the Home Office Large Major Enquiry System. It is an information technology system that will be used by our police forces for the investigation of major incidents such as serial murders and high value frauds.”

It took Mycroft every ounce of all the decades worth of self-control and will power to prevent that single tear that was threatening to roll down his cheek. He was overwhelmed and speechless. Eventually he found his voice.

“Anthea.” he murmured. “You shouldn’t have!”

“It was the least I could do Sir.” She said with a warm smile.

.

.

When Sherlock heard about it, he was of course as brusque as ever and said they were all idiots and that the case solve rate would remain the same no matter what name they gave their systems.

“Mycroft, they could have called it G.O.D and it still wouldn’t help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. There is no Duchy of Battersea. I just created it based on the Battersea Dog and Cat home!
> 
> 2\. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/red-sparrow/spy-schools/
> 
> 3\. H.O.L.M.E.S (Home Office Large Major Enquiry System) is REAL!! It is an information technology system that is predominantly used by UK police forces for the investigation of major incidents such as serial murders and high value frauds.   
> The system is a single application which was developed by Unisys for the Police Information Technology Organisation under the Private Finance Initiative. It provides total compatibility and consistency between all the Police forces of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, as well as the Royal Military Police. The name of the system is a reference to the fictional private detective Sherlock Holmes.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott meets someone who deduces him like his uncle Sherlock had with Uncle John!

It was the year of their 25th wedding anniversary and Molly and Mycroft were back in London for Siobhan’s graduation ceremony.

She had completed her political science degree at LSE.

Mycroft was bursting with pride and asked Molly if she thought their daughter will become the Dean at LSE one day.

Molly smiled. ‘Considering that you were the British Government, I don’t think she will rest till she is at least the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom darling.’

****************************

After a lovely holiday they returned to Goa, taking Scott back with them for a holiday.

Some days later Scott was in a café having some drinks with friends when he thought he heard a young woman say ‘Hey let’s catch up at MI6 on Baker Street’.

He turned very casually to look in the direction, his heart beating furiously.

_Was their secret out?_

He caught her eye and she smiled at him. She was simply gorgeous. Nut brown, long curly black hair and a brilliant smile.

‘Hi’ he waved at her. ‘Did you just say MI6 Baker Street?’

‘Bakery Street’ she corrected him. ‘That’s what we call it. The one which has Molly’s Inn at number 6? MI6?’

‘Oh haha’ he said relief flooding over him. He gave her a thumbs up. ’Cool. I had no idea it was called that.’

‘New to this place are you?’ She asked him.

He got up and went across to where she was and said ‘Hi I am Scott.’

.

.

She looked at him and said ‘London or Oxford?”

“Sorry?’ He said, perplexed.

“Which one was it”, she said, “London or Oxford?”

“London, sorry how did you …?”

‘You just got back from college where you have been studying for some years? You play outdoor sports and you plan to study encryption and artificial intelligence.’

He just stood there utterly speechless.

_Was this a dream? Or was this going exactly like the family legend of his Uncle Sherlock’s first time meeting John?_

‘How… did you…. know that??’ he finally asked.

She laughed at his shocked expression. ‘I am a medical student here and we just learnt about Dr Joseph Bell who encouraged observation to enhance the powers of deduction of a doctor. Your accent is British, there are tan free lines where you wore a watch-- probably to keep time for sports because otherwise we just use our phones, your bag has the logo of a well- known Artificial Intelligence software club. Simple!” she shrugged.

‘That was amazing!’ he said slowly.

‘Oh ok, alright……. I am cheating a bit,” she said tilting her head with a slightly contrite look though her eyes were dancing. “Your friend Raj there? He is my brother’s classmate. I heard them discussing about a childhood friend who was returning from London and when you spoke I realized from your accent that you must be the same person. “Sorry!!” She raised her hand in a peace sign.

 _Gorgeous, brilliant and funny_. _Wow_! thought Scott. “My parents actually live on what you call Baker Street. Molly is my mum’.

‘Oh that is soooo cool! She bakes the most awesome cakes! I guess then I have to invite you for my birthday party next week so at least we get some free cake,’ she grinned at him.

‘Deal!” he said. ‘When and where?’

‘Sunday 8 pm,’ she said leaving the café.

‘Hey wait!” he called out. ‘I don’t know where we are meeting! I don’t even know your name!’

‘The name is Diana,’ she said turning back just when she was outside the door. ‘Diana Fernandes. And the address is Bungalow 221 B across Bakery Street’ and she winked at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it would be fun if Mycroft (who Sherlock calls The Queen!) ends up with a Diana as his daughter- in- law :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The universe is really not lazy :)

Scott had been besotted with Diana from the day he saw her. The day after the birthday party she had come home with him and seen the family photo on the walls and her jaw dropped.

“How do you know him?” She had asked, pointing at Sherlock.

‘He is my uncle’, said Scott.

‘No way!!” she said. “Sherlock Holmes of 221B Baker Street is your uncle??”

So Scott had explained why his father had changed his own name and last name to cover identities and asked her how she knew Sherlock.

It turned out that she had been one of the women medical students at St. Bart’s who had lived in the lodgings!

‘The Baker Street Irregulars he used to call us. And he and John would quiz us in the evenings when we were all free!! Those were the best two years of my life!!! That is why I insisted on calling our bungalow 221B!”

Scott knew that his father used to always say the universe is rarely so lazy and there is no such thing as coincidence. So he took this as a sign and proposed to her before the week was out! But she had a wise head on her shoulders and told him they should wait till they both finish their studies.

Molly and Mycroft had been delighted at the developing relationship and there had been long and entertaining Facetime call with Diana here and Sherlock & John in London.

They had had a small party at home the night before Scott was to return to London after Christmas celebrations were over. It was not exactly an engagement party but it wasn’t exactly not one either. It was obvious to everyone that Scott and Diana were crazy for each other and they would be hearing wedding bells soon.

Later that night Molly sat in the verandah and thought, _so this is how it is and the web spins itself again and the world continues to turn and our legacy is built._

She remembered herself, lonely and miserable on that Christmas day long ago when Mycroft had turned up with the plum cake. She would never have imagined that it would eventually lead to this!

They may eventually be just a blip in the matrix but love was the answer and the great game played itself out with every generation.

She became aware that Mycroft had come to sit next to her.

They sat side by side, in happy silence, holding hands till it was time to go to bed. Mycroft looked at her as she got ready to sleep and said what he said almost every night. ‘I still can’t believe that you are mine!’

And she said what she always did. ‘For all of space and time my love’.

And then they fell asleep to the sound of the ocean waves.

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We are coming to the end of an era in many ways as this fic winds down.   
> A huge thank you to Purrfectlmt whose regular comments have been super encouraging during this journey:)  
> Please keep your tissues and hankies ready for this and the coming chapters. I have been weeping while writing.....

It is another ten years later now and Sherlock and John have come down to be with Greg. He was recently diagnosed with lung cancer.

Sherlock had looked at him angrily and said “I TOLD you those things will kill you.”

“Yes, Sunshine,” Greg. “But something is going to kill us all in the end. This way at least it got you down here to spend time with me!”

The day after the chemo and radiation had been concluded Gregory was discussing burials and cremation and Sherlock said, “Maybe we should stuff you and keep you in a glass case like Jeremy Bentham and record your voice saying ‘Stop It Sherlock ‘every two hours.”

“Yeah you should. “ Greg said. “Then once you are convinced I am dead I will come back to life after two years and frighten you into a heart attack in an underground car park.”

Molly and Maya had rolled their eyes and huffed but the men found all this hilariously funny.

It was their way of coping with the inevitable.

.

.

Two years later when Greg did pass away Sherlock refused to come down for the funeral. He told John he did not want to accept the reality and going there would make it too real. John didn’t want to leave him alone so he spoke to Maya on the phone and offered condolences and apologies.

Although Greg had left London years ago, John could still see, as clearly as if it were yesterday, the police car at the kerb and if he listened carefully he could still hear his two steps at a time running up the stairs, coming to call Sherlock to yet another crime scene.

He knew that Greg had been like a North Star to Sherlock all his life, even more than Mycroft at the point where the brothers were almost estranged. Greg had held his hand through drug withdrawals and rescued him from crack dens and then given him a new life as a Consulting Detective. He had always nudged him to be a good man. And finally Sherlock had met and then exceeded all expectations.

John kept the phone with a heavy heart. Mrs. Hudson had left them all those years ago and now Greg. It had been a good life but it was a huge loss. Slowly but surely they were all coming to the end of an era.

221B was very very quiet that night and if Sherlock picked up his violin more than once and kept it down and broke down crying, while looking outside the window, John didn’t mention it. Just made many cups of tea so see them both through one of the darkest nights yet.

.

.

Mycroft had taken care of all arrangements and mourned the finest and best man he had known.

In his own stoic way. He had taken that as a wake-up call and started to make his own plans.

He decided that in keeping with local customs he wanted to be cremated.

‘No flowers. My request’, he had said to Molly. ‘No memorial.’ He had made the most detailed plans, he had a living will, organ donor cards, documents and files and so many things.

She had asked him, sort of smiling hesitantly because after all it was not a topic to be spoken of lightly.

‘You are so well prepared for this…….honey. I have not put anything down on paper.’

‘Yes,’ Mycroft had looked at her and answered what she had not asked. ‘I am doing all this because I want to let whoever is out there guiding this universe to know that I do not want to be the one left behind.’

Sudden tears came to Molly’s eyes.

He came closer and said ‘I will not be able to live without you Molly. But I know that you can and you will survive without me. You were always the strong one’.

She had hugged him and cried. Because she was overwhelmed by his love and by the knowledge that he was right. She would survive, even if it meant she was not fully alive.

She loved him with every fibre of her being and as wholly as she could but she knew that somehow he had always loved her more and with a more hidden and fierce passion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Jeremy Bentham has been sitting in a corridor at University College London since 1850. The moral philosopher, whose advocacy of animal welfare, prison reform, universal suffrage, and gay rights was far ahead of his time, left a will with specific instructions on the treatment of his corpse. In it, he decreed that his skeleton and mummified head be assembled, clad in a black suit and seated upright on a chair in a wooden cabinet, under a placard reading "Auto Icon." He also suggested that his corpse could preside over regular meetings of his utilitarian followers.  
> http://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2013/10/23/jeremy_bentham_died_in_1850_but_he_s_still_sitting_in_a_hallway_at_this.html


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the end came it was sudden.  
> Warning for major character death.

When the end came it was sudden.

Scott and Diana had married as soon as they both graduated and it was during her post graduate studies in Forensic Medicine that they had a daughter. They named her Kim after the famous Rudyard Kipling story about the Great Game and Mycroft had been delighted at the inside joke.

They had come down to Goa for a holiday and Mycroft and Molly had been thrilled to play grandparents to this charming little 3 year old child who had her Gramps wrapped around her little finger. He had made sure she had the best mangoes to eat and took her horse riding every evening and sat next to her on the beach chair every evening as she played on the beach making sand castles.

Siobhan had also joined them and been full of ideas for her new project on urban crime and redevelopment analysis. She had also been interning as a lobbyist this year and Anthea had given Mycroft some very positive feedback. Mycroft had glowed with pride and knew that H.O.L.M.E.S or not, his legacy of protecting King and Country was going to be in very able hands.

That morning Kim had gone to check on her Gramps for breakfast and came down grumpy and said he wasn’t answering.

Scott and Siobhan had been up and running the next second while Molly stood there rooted to the spot. When Scott came out of the bedroom a minute later she knew the worst. She sat down and was grateful it had been swift and hopefully painless.

Maya had always said that the best people with the best karma were taken in their sleep. Mycroft was almost 85 and she knew this would come some day and she would be strong as he had expected her to be.

Her very next thought was for Sherlock and she called up John to tell him.

It was late at night for them but John had answered at the second ring and he must have seen her name on the phone.

‘Molly?’ he asked softly and suddenly Molly found she could not speak. Tears streaming down her face, she handed the phone to whoever was next to her.

Diana took the phone and spoke. ‘Uncle John? It’s about Papa’.

‘Oh Diana’ said John, his heart sinking as he realized this was the one call no one ever wants to receive. ‘Is he…, has he….’

‘Yes’ said Diana softly. ‘I am so sorry. Will you please tell Uncle Sherlock?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kim is a novel by Nobel Prize-winning English author Rudyard Kipling. It was first published serially in McClure's Magazine from December 1900 to October 1901 as well as in Cassell's Magazine from January to November 1901, and first published in book form by Macmillan & Co. Ltd in October 1901.   
> The story unfolds against the backdrop of The Great Game, the political conflict between Russia and Britain in Central Asia. The novel made the term "Great Game" popular and introduced the theme of great power rivalry and intrigue.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_(novel)


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock is unable to cope with the loss of his big brother.

Sherlock and John had taken the very next flight out. Luckily they still had a diplomatic passport and did not need to wait anywhere. They reached Goa in 12 hours just in time for the cremation and Molly had felt her heart shatter into more pieces when she saw Sherlock’s face. He was himself no longer a young man and the grief and rage she saw in his face was terrible to look at.

In the years since the Fall she had seen Sherlock become the most devoted brother to Mycroft as though to make up for all those years of rebellion and distrust and anger. He had loved Mycroft and every single member of his family with the brilliant single minded devotion that only he was capable of. He had become Mycroft’s biggest ally and best friend.

Sherlock had stood like a rock through the cremation and the return home. But that evening when the ashes were brought home was when he had finally broken down and raged like he would tear the world apart in his grief.

He had gone from believing there was a Russian conspiracy and that Mycroft had been poisoned like the umbrella case to blaming the local homeopath for his poor quality medicines to wanting to see all his recent medical records to suspecting some ex –Mossad agent of murder.

Molly was unable to bear this after an hour and had left with Siobhan to be with Maya.

John had tried everything he could do calm him down and finally he also stepped out of the room for a bit of fresh air.

Diana was sitting there and asked him, ‘May I?”

“Yes my dear, by all means. Be careful. And don’t feel bad if he says anything cruel. He is in pain.”

‘I know.’ Diana had said quietly, remembering the whirlwind she had known at Baker Street, fire and brimstone one moment and playing the most divine music the next.

She had gone in and sat on the chair in the bedroom and listened to him rant and rage for almost an entire hour. And then she had gone up to him and held his hand and said ‘Please stop. You are hurting yourself. You are hurting Ma. You are hurting your Molly. Please Uncle Sherlock. Stop.”

And finally Sherlock had looked at her and stopped and broken down sobbing. She held him while he cried and her own tears would not stop and John came in and there were still more tears to be shed.

Scott went over the Maya’s later and got Molly and Siobhan back to sleep at night.

The next morning Sherlock emerged at 10 am and went to Molly who was sitting in the verandah.

‘Molly’ he started to say, ‘I am sorry. I am so, so …..’and she looked at him and smiled sadly. ‘I know Sherlock. Please. You don’t have to say anything. I know.’

He held her hand and said “You gave him more happiness than he could have ever imagined and for that I will be eternally grateful to you. Would you like me and John to move here and be with you for a few days? Or even for good? You just have to say it Molly and it will be done.’

‘It is very kind of you both’, Molly said, ‘but there is no need to uproot yourself. You need to be there for your daughter and your work. Scott and Diana and Siobhan will be around for a while and Maya is also here. For now you are welcome to stay for as many days as you can.’

They stayed for two weeks and then reluctantly left. John had assured her again that they would be more than happy to come and stay for good.

_After all none of them were getting any younger._

She had smiled weakly and said she will certainly think about it.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The game never ends. There may be new players though….

As the days passed, she often wondered whether somehow Mycroft could still see her and she was sure that on some days she felt his presence.

She remembered a conversation they had had a long time ago, a lifetime ago-- about robots and consciousness and immortality. Now their son was studying the same and it may well become a reality for his generation.

But she herself was quite content to have had the infinite love within the finite life she had had with Mycroft and the entire extended family. They had created something so beautiful and good in the midst of so much darkness.

They had stood on the side of angels and kept evil at bay.

They had loved and laughed and on this pale blue dot, in the vast emptiness of space, they had created their own galaxies of belonging.

In the wilderness of the known universe they had found a sanctuary in each other’s hearts and that was enough. That was more than enough.

.

.

She raised her glass in a toast to her love “For all of time and space my love” she whispered and with a sigh she got up.

The family would be ready for dinner and the dogs had to be fed. Life went on and while she could she would go on too.

And someday, someday-- maybe soon, she would be wherever her beloved was and all would be well again.

The game never ends. There may be new players though….

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this huge saga spanning so many years and so many continents has drawn to a close ! A huge thank you to all those who have read it and commented !! It has been a fascinating story for me to imagine and I do hope you enjoyed it too :)  
> A VERY SPECIAL thanks to Purrfectlmt who has been so regular in commenting and keeping my spirits up !! Writing can be lonely business when you don't hear form the readers !! Thanks again :)

**Author's Note:**

> Molly is thinking of ‘life, the universe and everything else’. My tribute to Douglas Adams.


End file.
